Women
by mdseiran
Summary: Days pass, and Conan still lives in his lie, created to save Ran from the painful truth. But someone is about to find out what that truth really is...


Women… 

A Detective Conan Fanfiction By Hibbah

Disclaimer: I lay no claim to any of the characters in Meitantei Conan, just to this story. The rest I'm borrowing temporarily from Gosho Aoyama-sama, no credit goes to me (except that of the story-you can't sue me for that, it's all mine!!!).

This is a one-shot fanfic, which is supposed to be dramatic, with some humor. Was written in one day, so I hope it's ok… So, here goes…

Women…

By Hibbah 

Conan flopped down on the nearest couch, and finally allowed himself to sigh. It had been a long day, longer than usual it seemed to him. Longer even than when he had to endure a whole day of school. He was tired, and his eyelids soon dropped.

Heiji and Kazuha had come over for an unexpected visit. At least, that's what Kazuha _claimed._ He wasn't so sure about it though. He had seen the wink she had given Ran. Something here was definitely fishy…

No sooner had they arrived than Ran and Kazuha decided to go on a shopping spree. Heiji and Conan had no choice but to follow; their dinner depended on it. With their stomachs rumbling, they walked along quite meekly at the beginning, without complaining. But when the half hour first became an hour and then extended to three, Heiji threw himself on a chair, Conan quickly following his example. Kazuha turned around at the two flops, and moved so as to stand exactly in front of them, hands on her hips, a frown on her face. "Men… You are such babies! You got tired this fast?!" Two identical indignant looks were thrown her way, with scowls to match. One of the glares even had a spark of fire in them. Conan sighed. _Here they go again…_

This person slowly stood up, towering above her as if he had suddenly grown a few inches. "Kazuha…?" She looked at him suspiciously. "Yeah?"

He took a deep breath. "WE HAVE BEEN WALKING FOR THREE DAMNED HOURS HERE!!! EVEN ALEXANDER THE GREAT WOULD HAVE GOTTEN TIRED FROM THAT, AND GOD KNOWS HE ALMOST NEVER DID!!!" His face had turned a deep red. Conan, who had been gaping at him, now quickly turned his head, trying to stifle his giggle. _Hattori, you are sooo screwed right now… _Heiji was slowly choking. The shouting had most certainly taken his breath away; not surprisingly, as his voice had been hard enough for the whole of Tokyo to hear.

Kazuha just stood there, glaring at her friend, waiting for his breathing to become even. Then she suddenly smirked. "Well, I've just been proven right, and so has he."

It was Heiji's turn to look suspicious. "He who?"

Kazuha's smirk seemed to be filling her whole face. "Robert Jordan. He once wrote: 'The best way to deal with a man is to learn to ride a mule. They have about equal brains most of the time. Sometimes the mule is smarter.' And I think in this case the mule is _definitely_ smarter!" She stood back with a triumphant look. A small laugh came from behind her, and she turned around to find Ran trying to stifle her laughter. She gave her a quick grin, then turned back to watch the two males who seemed to be struck with lightening. She wasn't gonna miss their reaction for anything in the world.

Heiji awkwardly cleared his throat. "Uh… Since when did you start reading Robert Jordan?"

"A while ago. Hey, it's not my fault you didn't notice that, oh Great Detective of the West! Another case where the mule would have been smarter!"

The only reply she got was a snort, but it was enough for her. She turned away with a satisfied grin on her face, quietly resuming her chatter with Ran. Heiji sighed, and once more flopped to the chair. "So, I'll guess we have to bear them if we want dinner tonight, eh Kudo?"

For once, Conan didn't even berate him for calling him 'Kudo' in public. He just grunted in reply. Heiji sighed again. "God help us", he muttered.

A few feet away, blue eyes flashed in suspicion, narrowing their sight on the two people sitting on the chairs, and a mind was working fast behind those eyes… Too fast. WAY too fast…

~*~*~*~*~

Home sweet home… That was the first thought that went through Conan's head as he finally had the chance to sit down. This day was definitely one of the longest days ever… He was totally worn out, and quite sure that if a murder were to pop up in front of him right now, he wouldn't be there to outwit the killer.

That is where Heiji found him twenty minutes later, eyes closed. The poor kid hadn't even had dinner.

He sat down beside him, and Conan's eyes slowly slid open. "What do you want now??"

Heiji raised up his hands in a defensive gesture. "Hey, don't pick on me! I was the one who got insulted, remember? They don't consider YOU a man!!"

A small grin crept up Conan's face. "Yeah well. Lesson Number One, Hattori. Never cross a woman when she is shopping. Don't tell me your dad didn't teach you that?" this in a mocking tone.

Heiji grunted. "Right. Remind me to ask him when I go back. Hey, Kudo, how is-" His words were cut off by an angry Conan hurriedly sitting up to give Heiji a hard blow to his head.

"Itai! Hey little squirt, what do you think you're doing??"

Conan gave him a death glare. _If looks could kill…_

"I have warned you like a thousand times NOT TO CALL ME KUDO!!!"

"Yeah, sure, start shouting about it, that'll help a LOT here." Conan glared even more if that was possible, and Heiji tried to shrink back. The little shrimp could be quite scary sometimes…

What neither of them noticed was a pair of eyes observing them from not so far away. Ears were strained, trying to catch every word… After a while, the silent observer silently straightened, moving away from the useful hiding place. He had all the info he needed…

~*~*~*~*~

After that one argument, Heiji took care to keep quiet, leaving Conan to his thoughts. It wasn't very long before the door opened. Heiji's eyes opened slightly, enough to find Kazuha striding towards him.

"Heiji?" His eyes jerked wide open. That was the first time she actually spoke to him in that weird, totally unnatural, _sweet_ tone. Something was definitely up. "What do you want from me now?"

"Heiji, would you mind going to the bus station close by here? I think I forgot my purse there."

A scowl appeared on his face. "Why, aren't there any mules to carry out your orders?"

"Heiji, come on! Please?" When she started begging like that, there was nothing he wouldn't do for her. Sighing, he got up. "Okay, I'll go. See you later, K-Conan-kun."

It wasn't long after he had left the room when Kazuha carefully seated herself next to the little boy still lying on the couch. She coughed to let him know she was still there. His eyes opened at once. As he saw her, he put on his childish tone. "What is it, Kazuha-neechan?"

"I have a question to ask you, Kudo-kun…"

Sighing inwardly, he prepared himself for the question. 'What is it, Kazuha-neechan?" _Wait a second… Did she just call me…_

Kazuha's face showed an expression of anger and pride at the same time. "I'm right aren't I? You really ARE Kudo-kun…"

_Oh SHIT!!!_

"Well? Why don't you answer me, Kudo-kun? You could start by telling me why you have been living with Ran-chan all the time, leaving her with a heartache, and did nothing."

Conan – no, not Conan now, Shinichi - tried to gather his wits about him, but he still stuttered when he answered. "I-I don't know what you are talking about, Kazuha-neechan."

Kazuha smirked. "Don't try that tone with me, Kudo Shinichi, Great Detective of the East. It might fool Ran, but you can't fool me with it. Besides, I have proof. Heiji called you 'Kudo' at least twice tonight. I was watching, and I heard it all. So, you wanna tell me what this is all about? Or would you rather do it before Ran?"

_Kuso. She's got me in a corner and she knows it…_ He sighed, a deep sigh that came right from his heart. "Alright, I'll tell you. Just please, don't interrupt me, okay?" And so he started weaving his tale, bit by bit, stopping a while at the difficult parts, maybe trying to keep the tears away. It took a long time till he was finished, and when he looked at her, she was as pale as a sheet, and completely silent.

~*~*~*~*~

"Well? Why don't you say anything? Oh, and I presume your bag is safe in the house somewhere? You know, Hattori is going to want to kill you for this… Sending him on a wild goose chase."

She tossed her head, causing her hair to flow about in the ponytail she always wore. "I don't care. I wanted the truth, and I got it." _There's only one truth… And it's catching up with me big time._ "He can do what he wants. If he had been here, he would have been sure to find a way to convince me otherwise. I'm surprised at you, Kudo-kun. Didn't think you'd give up so easily." She was smirking now, and there was a glitter in her eyes, making them shine like diamonds, or blue sapphires.

_Oh damn. I could have gotten away with it… Damn!_

"So, what are you going to do now, Toyama-san? You gonna tell Ran?"

"She deserves to know. I should tell her." Her look was sharp now, blaming him. At that moment, something snapped inside him. He didn't know what, and he didn't even care. But something in him broke at her accusing tone. _Maybe it's my heart…_ "You think I don't WANT to? That it doesn't hurt me to see her cry? That I don't feel like tearing my heart out just to make her happy? I feel like a total bastard every time she misses me, or is worried about me. I call her once in a while, show up when I can. It isn't enough, and I know it. But what am I supposed to do? Hell, I can't tell her! She'd be in even greater danger then! It's not that I don't trust her. I do. More than I trust anyone. But I'm afraid for her, afraid for her life. I couldn't live if she was killed because of my mistakes. Can't you see that? Can't you?" His voice was harsh now, and to his surprise he felt tears streaming down his cheeks. Hoping Kazuha hadn't seen them, he quickly brushed them away. Kazuha was looking down at the floor, her own tears falling down without as much as a sound. _Just great. I make her cry too. Hattori'll have my head for that._

He brushed his fingers through his hair, not really knowing what to say. _Oh hell. I suck at apologies…_

"Toyama-san, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to… Well, I didn't want to lose my temper like that. I'm really, really sorry."

It took a while for Kazuha to be able to look up at him. When she did, her eyes were a bit more sympathetic than at first. "I know, Kudo-kun. I just want to make it right for Ran-chan. But I understand your motives." Her eyes got a distant look now. "Heiji would have done the exact same thing. He sacrificed himself for me more than once, put himself on the edge just so I would be safe, while almost falling off himself. That's exactly what you're doing right now. And I understand that. I won't say anything to Ran-chan, rest assured. But I still think you should tell her yourself."

She slowly stood up. "I'd better go see her, and give Heiji a call too. Poor him, he must be tired."

"No need to call me, I'm already here." Conan and Kazuha both jerked towards the sound. Heiji was leaning against the doorframe; his face had an unreadable look. Maybe it was worry…

He stepped into the room, and paused when he was no further from Kazuha than a few metres. "I never even left. You couldn't have fooled me with that tone you put on, Kazuha. I know you well enough to know when you're hiding something." 

He rubbed his forehead with his hands, as if he had a headache he would gladly be rid of. "This was mostly my fault of course…"

Conan snorted. It was the first sound he'd made since Heiji had made his appearance. "Yeah, no kidding Einstein. You need to keep your big trap shut."

And for probably the first, time, Heiji actually looked guilty. "Look, I said I was sorry, right? Just let it go."

Kazuha kept silent during the exchange, but then suddenly she was laughing. That made Conan and Heiji stop short with their squabble. They looked at her in complete amazement. _How on earth can she laugh in these circumstances… _

"Kazuha, are you okay?" Heiji didn't know what else to ask. This hadn't happened before, not with Kazuha… 

Still chuckling, Kazuha wiped tears of mirth from her face. "I was just thinking. Since I have to keep this secret for you, I'm gonna need some payment."

If the look on their faces was anything to judge by, the two teenagers couldn't have been more shocked. Their mouths literally wide open, eyes almost rolling out of their sockets. That only put Kazuha in an even bigger laugh attack.

"Don't stare at me like that! You don't want me to slip up like Heiji did, do you, Kudo-kun?"

"So… What do you want, Toyama-san?"

"Simple. Whenever I need a favor, I expect you to jump up and say, 'Yes, Ma'am'! That counts for Heiji too of course."

"And here I thought she would leave me alone…" Heiji muttered. He turned to Kudo. "What do you think?"

Conan sighed. "Don't think we have a choice here. Okay, Toyama-san, you've got yourself a deal."

He didn't want to think that much about the pleasure and mischief on her face. "Glad you agree. Well, I'd better see what Ran-chan is doing. She must be wondering where I am by now." She turned on her heels, but then stopped short. "Oh, and I already have a first task for you. You gentlemen can take us ladies out to dinner tonight, on your expenses."

Humming a tune softly to herself, all the while grinning widely, Kazuha made her exit from the room, leaving two baffled youths behind her. The same thought went through both minds at once. _Women…_

Owari

_Okay, that's all folks! I won't be writing anything new for a month or so, give and take. So I hope you enjoyed this. I'll still be checking for reviews though. ^_^ So pls take the time to tell me what you thought._

_Just some last details. The quote from Robert Jordan just popped in. It gave me a good laugh when I read it, and it just seemed like something Kazuha would say._

_I have tried to put some humor in, and I hope I succeeded in that. Thanks to Islam Mahmood aka the Quicksolver who gave me the secret to humor fics, even though his strategy wasn't used to its full extent here. Also, thanks to Victor S. aka Apparition for his constant support and inspiration, to my 3 friends Nurul Ain Izzati, Valerie Chow & Anna, and to Becky Tailweaver, b/c her fic 'Relative Truth' put me into a very major writing mood. Talk about inspiration! I really recommend everyone to read it._

_Ok, that's it. I'll try to write more ASAP. ^__^ Bye for now!_


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